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Arizona governor candidates weigh in on mass shootings

Arizona governor candidates on shooting

The Arizona Republic asked the candidates for governor what changes, if any, should be made to prevent future shooting sprees.

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Fred DuVal, Democrat

"As a recreational shooter, gun owner, and strong supporter of the second amendment, I know that we can keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill without infringing on the right of the people to keep and bear arms.

"There's no guaranteed way to prevent mass shootings, but we can reduce gun violence and start healing the heartbreak from Sandy Hook, Aurora, Isla Vista, and Tucson by sharing mental health records between states and requiring background checks for all gun purchases."

Ken Bennett, Republican

"Words cannot adequately describe the sorrow and loss experienced by those victimized by the shooting death of a loved one. It is equally futile to try and make sense out of something that is simply incomprehensible.

"As Senate President, my record was one of strong support for Second Amendment rights. As Governor, I will continue to oppose unreasonable infringements upon those rights. In addition, we need to ensure existing gun laws are strictly enforced. We must vigorously prosecute criminals who illegally possess and use guns to commit crimes, and do everything we can to ensure safe and responsible gun ownership."

Doug Ducey, Republican

"My heart goes out to any person or family that has been affected by violent crime. The common thread in recent tragedies - Tucson, Aurora, Newtown and now Isla Vista - is that many warning signs were overlooked or ignored. As a nation, we must take a hard look at our mental health system and its failings, and ensure better cooperation between mental health agencies and law enforcement. I will work with Arizona mental health experts, the firearms community and law enforcement professionals to make sure that any programs brought forward will reduce violence and not infringe on the Constitution."

Al Melvin, Republican

"Most mass shootings have in common 1) A shooter with mental health issues and 2) An inviting location where the victims have been disarmed and are unable to defend themselves. Those who dislike guns callously exploit these tragedies to further their political agenda, but their avoidance of the real issues only encourages more violence. We need to better identify and treat those with mental illnesses and we need to restore the rights of law-abiding citizens to defend themselves. You should not have to make yourself a potential victim because you want to see a movie or attend a college course."

Frank Riggs, Republican

"The answer is not to restrict freedom and the constitutionally protected right to own firearms, or for that matter, video games. The 'recent mass shootings,' including at UC Santa Barbara, where the first three victims were stabbed to death, have been perpetrated by deranged young men who were estranged from their families and alienated from society. There's no way to prevent crimes by insane individuals but every child should have the chance to be raised to adulthood by role-modeling parents in a nurturing and loving home, and government policies should encourage intact families and combat the breakdown of marriage."

Christine Jones, Republican

"The issue is not more gun control; the issue is mental health and crime in our society. I don't support restrictions on the Constitutional rights of Americans, which many liberals in Washington suggest is the answer to preventing future mass shootings. We must focus on rectifying the root causes of the violence in order to get to the bottom of why these mass murders are happening. A thoughtful and thorough conversation on mental health is warranted before we can hope for truly meaningful change."

Scott Smith, Republican

"Mass shootings, at their root, represent a mental health issue more so than any other factor. In the wake of such awful loss of life, we can no longer accept reactive discussions and knee-jerk solutions that fail to address our nation's need for quality mental health care before violent behavior can take hold.

"At the same time, we must improve our education system and give law enforcement the tools experts on the frontlines say they need to function as an effective early warning system to prevent such horrific violence."

Andrew Thomas, Republican

"I prosecuted the worst mass murderers in Arizona history, the Serial Shooters and Baseline Killer, and we need to make the death penalty a more meaningful deterrent to such criminals. By allowing decades-long appeals of capital cases and other factors, our liberal courts have made it much harder to mete out capital punishment. We need reforms to bring swift justice and to deter would-be killers."

Barry Hess, Libertarian

"It's unrealistic to think any politician can do anything to stop psychotic behavior. There will never be enough "Johnny-on-the-spot" police officers to guard every corner, so I would look more to allowing the Citizens to be prepared to act to stop such criminal attacks. When an armed Citizen is there to intercede, the death toll is less than 1/10th having to wait for 'official' responses, and public safety comes before false security in my book. What we can do, is re-valuate the use of psychotropic drugs on children, ostensibly to 'correct' 'disorders' in virtually every mass shooting."

In the wake of recent mass shootings, many have asked what elected leaders can do to prevent future rampages. The May 23 shootings at the University of California, Santa Barbara, which left six students dead from gun or knife wounds, has again prompted many to ask that question.

Richard Martinez, the father of 20-year old Christopher Michaels-Martinez, one of the six individuals killed in the rampage, directing his remarks to politicians, saying, "I don't care about your sympathy. ... Get to work and do something."

Martinez continued: "Have we learned nothing? These things are going to continue until somebody does something, so where the hell is the leadership?"

The Arizona Republic asked the candidates for governor what changes, if any, should be made to prevent future shooting sprees:

Fred DuVal, Democrat: "As a recreational shooter, gun owner, and strong supporter of the Second Amendment, I know that we can keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill without infringing on the right of the people to keep and bear arms.

"There's no guaranteed way to prevent mass shootings, but we can reduce gun violence and start healing the heartbreak from Sandy Hook, Aurora, Isla Vista, and Tucson by sharing mental health records between states and requiring background checks for all gun purchases."

Ken Bennett, Republican: "Words cannot adequately describe the sorrow and loss experienced by those victimized by the shooting death of a loved one. It is equally futile to try and make sense out of something that is simply incomprehensible.

"As Senate President, my record was one of strong support for Second Amendment rights. As Governor, I will continue to oppose unreasonable infringements upon those rights. In addition, we need to ensure existing gun laws are strictly enforced. We must vigorously prosecute criminals who illegally possess and use guns to commit crimes, and do everything we can to ensure safe and responsible gun ownership."

Doug Ducey, Republican: "My heart goes out to any person or family that has been affected by violent crime. The common thread in recent tragedies – Tucson, Aurora, Newtown and now Isla Vista – is that many warning signs were overlooked or ignored. As a nation, we must take a hard look at our mental health system and its failings, and ensure better cooperation between mental health agencies and law enforcement. I will work with Arizona mental health experts, the firearms community and law enforcement professionals to make sure that any programs brought forward will reduce violence and not infringe on the Constitution."

Christine Jones, Republican: "The issue is not more gun control; the issue is mental health and crime in our society. I don't support restrictions on the Constitutional rights of Americans, which many liberals in Washington suggest is the answer to preventing future mass shootings. We must focus on rectifying the root causes of the violence in order to get to the bottom of why these mass murders are happening. A thoughtful and thorough conversation on mental health is warranted before we can hope for truly meaningful change."

Al Melvin, Republican: "Most mass shootings have in common 1) A shooter with mental health issues and 2) An inviting location where the victims have been disarmed and are unable to defend themselves. Those who dislike guns callously exploit these tragedies to further their political agenda, but their avoidance of the real issues only encourages more violence. We need to better identify and treat those with mental illnesses and we need to restore the rights of law-abiding citizens to defend themselves. You should not have to make yourself a potential victim because you want to see a movie or attend a college course."

Frank Riggs, Republican: "The answer is not to restrict freedom and the constitutionally protected right to own firearms, or for that matter, video games. The 'recent mass shootings,' including at UC Santa Barbara, where the first three victims were stabbed to death, have been perpetrated by deranged young men who were estranged from their families and alienated from society. There's no way to prevent crimes by insane individuals but every child should have the chance to be raised to adulthood by role-modeling parents in a nurturing and loving home, and government policies should encourage intact families and combat the breakdown of marriage."

Scott Smith, Republican: "Mass shootings, at their root, represent a mental health issue more so than any other factor. In the wake of such awful loss of life, we can no longer accept reactive discussions and knee-jerk solutions that fail to address our nation's need for quality mental health care before violent behavior can take hold.

"At the same time, we must improve our education system and give law enforcement the tools experts on the front lines say they need to function as an effective early warning system to prevent such horrific violence."

Andrew Thomas, Republican: "I prosecuted the worst mass murderers in Arizona history, the Serial Shooters and Baseline Killer, and we need to make the death penalty a more meaningful deterrent to such criminals. By allowing decades-long appeals of capital cases and other factors, our liberal courts have made it much harder to mete out capital punishment. We need reforms to bring swift justice and to deter would-be killers."

Barry Hess, Libertarian: "It's unrealistic to think any politician can do anything to stop psychotic behavior. There will never be enough "Johnny-on-the-spot" police officers to guard every corner, so I would look more to allowing the Citizens to be prepared to act to stop such criminal attacks. When an armed Citizen is there to intercede, the death toll is less than 1/10th having to wait for 'official' responses, and public safety comes before false security in my book. What we can do, is re-valuate the use of psychotropic drugs on children, ostensibly to 'correct' 'disorders' in virtually every mass shooting."